Lily, aged 55, has mixed feelings about her future retirement. She swings between being philosophical and fearful about her financial position, Lily has spent most of her life rearing her children and, until now, worked in low-paid jobs casually and part time before getting divorced later in life. … [Read more...]
Choosing the right level of insurance cover within your super fund is one of the three big decisions you make when joining a fund, along with choosing your investment options and deciding how much you want to contribute to your fund. (I explain the insurance options available within your super fund … [Read more...]
Are you planning to support yourself over a 30-year or even 40-year retirement or do you think Australia can afford to finance your retirement? The superannuation industry and the Federal Government continues to grapple with this issue, that is, whether Australia will continue to be in a position … [Read more...]
Since Superannuation Guarantee was introduced 20 years ago, the long-term return generated on the typical ‘balanced’ super fund account has been 7.1% a year, according to rating company, SuperRatings. Most Australian workers have their super money invested in a balanced investment option, … [Read more...]
This article is the first in a series of articles on annuities, to be published by SuperGuide over the next few months. The Global Financial Crisis, and the financial carnage that followed, devastated the value of many Australian retirement portfolios. For some retirees and prospective retirees, … [Read more...]
A major flaw in Australia’s retirement income policy (and in the investment techniques utilised by the skilled professionals who work in the super industry) is the lack of focus on outcomes – specifically, long-term outcomes that enable Australians to plan towards a ‘target’ retirement … [Read more...]
During March 2010, the National Information Centre on Retirement and Investments (NICRI) ran a fact-finding campaign (‘Super March’) to discover what Australians thought about superannuation. SuperGuide supported the campaign and we encouraged our readers to contact NICRI with any concerns about … [Read more...]
Any consumer thinking about switching super funds may want to reconsider whom they rely upon for financial advice, based on survey findings released in 2006 by financial regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The survey found that nearly one in three consumers … [Read more...]
